Doing Business 2017

Research Reveals

To report on the financial forces at work in 190 national economies across the globe, the World Bank examined regulations that aid or impede small- to medium-sized business start-ups and operations in large metropolitan areas. The resulting standardized measures allow you to make cross-country comparisons of business climates in specific fields such as business formation, construction permits, electricity availability and reliability, property records, access to credit, investor rights, taxation, cross-border trade, contract remediation and insolvency dispositions. The study also assesses aspects of labor market rules and government procurement processes. The analyses now incorporate a factor for assessing gender disparities in “starting a business, registering property and enforcing contracts.” Data indicate that female labor and business participation are critical elements in a nation’s economic progress and development. Yet, despite the fact that women represent approximately 50% of the global population, 16 countries still restrict women’s property rights and in 23 countries women face higher hurdles than men when they try to start a&#...